दृष्टिकोण – Indra's Viewpoint

India is perhaps one of the best countries so far the digital connectivity is concerned. Rajesh’s call that I received from New York in Rajdhani was one confirmation of the connected and transforming India. But a little before that, I was surprisingly pleased to get a call on my cell phone almost as soon as our train left New Delhi railway station. That was from my old acquaintance and very close friend SK Singh who has now settled in Jamshedpur after a long stint in Tata Motors. As he informed, he has now subscribed to Internet connection, as I suggested and so can be in touch with me.

Even after our very bad experience at New Delhi Railway Station, we got delighted after finding very nice co passengers. Surprisingly, it was a group of so called minority with one family from Bangladesh with two host families from West Bengal. The two daughters of Bangladeshi family in their early teens were speaking very good Hindi, and as they and their parents claimed, that was all because of Hindi cinemas on TV. Unfortunately, the two brothers of the family from Burdwan, West Bengal were not so fluent in Hindi. The four had the latest information about Hindi films and its actors and actresses. The group had visited all the places of tourists’ importance near Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Vrindavan and Mathura. As I could gather clearly from their conversations, they had visited all the temples too. I could also conclude that the children from the West Bengal were missing their Sarswati Puja, as they were in train. They also offer puspa-anjali to mother Sarswati. The whole atmosphere around us in the compartment got very pleasant. Yamuna and I enjoyed the conversation with them and that included my counseling to those girls and boys about education, learning, and career. I talked about the learning of maths, science, language, and even engineering through videos already available through internet. Their parents also got impressed and were enjoying our conversations, though they were businessmen dealing in rice trade. In the morning, the little Gauri joined the Bangladeshi girls with all her naughty actions. Gauri never bothered about the communal difference with the girls. Why can’t the whole India live in this sort of amity? Why should there be conflicts among the people based on caste, community, religion, and language?

Our biggest surprise was for the ticket checker who happened to be Hari Sankar of village Arthu near Madhukarpur, Yamuna’s birthplace. I had once given Hari Sankar a job in Hindustan Motors when he was very young and unemployed some thirty years ago. Later on, he appeared in some examination and got selected in Indian Railways, the biggest employer of the country. Hari Sankar could recognize me and then Yamuna. It is quite unlike the young men of these days who hardly care about the elderly people once they become of no importance to them. Hari Sankar managed to provide the best of services to us through the pantry staffs. One of his men also took our luggage down at Howrah. We had by then become important persons in the eyes of the co-passengers.

Unfortunately, Kolkata remains still a dead city so far the development is concerned. The famed Calcutta taxis of Ambassador Brand of old era remain as eyesores, and so is the filth all around and the small dirty stalls that have mushroomed everywhere, be it just in front of the Howrah station or around the administrative offices in Salt Lake. I could notice deterioration, particularly in Salt Lake. It appears all construction works have stopped. Roads have not undergone resurfacing. As I smell Buddha has lost his interest in development works after Singur episode when Tata Motors packed up from West Bengal. Perhaps the hope that Buddha’s aggressive initiatives to development in West Bengal have died prematurely. West Bengal is standing still. The people don’t want any change. And as usual, if there is no development and progress, there can only be deterioration. And there are plenty of signs of that in the stories of abductions and strikes at Haldia and dyeing Hindustan Motors that I started hearing as soon as I got into West Bengal.

The anxiety of a travel schedule for any purpose has always been troublesome for me. With growing age, it is more. But Nageswar whom I have called to look after my Noida house during my absence really provided an inexpressible delight when he told his age. He is older than me. I bet no one will agree with this after seeing him. I know some more persons, who have not changed significantly over the years I am seeing them.

Digital connectivity has made life easy. I was thinking of asking Anand to send his passport size photographs through courier when my former assistant KP Bose asked for one from Kolkata for getting some document from registry office. It never came to my mind that Internet can help. Shannon sent one fast enough an e-mail with Anand’s photograph as an attachment. Sunny Studio in Brahamputra Shopping Complex allowed me to access my G-mail and printed the photographs within minutes.

For keeping myself connected at salt lake I bought a Tata Indicom data card yesterday. Perhaps Kajol’s ad was the reason for selection of this technology for maintaining connectivity. However I can’t say about its efficiency unless they connect me, and that they will do only after verification of the address by some third party in next 24 or 48 hours. It is all because for the security reasons. I had to spend Rs 2770. That is perhaps more. For senior citizens, it must be less in era of Nano, or when a lap top can cost Rs 500.

If it doesn’t work, perhaps I shall not be able keep my blogging going. But let me hope for the best. For next few weeks we are shifting to salt lake, may be for the last or last but one time.

India became republic on January 26, 1950. Dr. Rajendra Prasad took oath as the first President of India.

In 1950, I started my regular schooling in class six at the age of eleven years in Birlapur Vidyalaya at Birlapur in district 24 Parganas of West Bengal. I passed out my school final examination in 1955 and got admission in Presidency College for Intermediate science course of Calcutta University. Dr. Rajendra Prasad had his education in Presidency too and lived in Eden Hindu Hostel. The plaque on the main gate of the hostel states, ‘Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India lived here’. I lived in the same hostel for the two years of my course in the college. I visited my college and hostel with Shannon and Anand last January after many years. The memories are sweet.

Interestingly, the first Indian Institute of Technology started in May 1950 in an old prison building at Hijli in Kharagpur, West Bengal. In 1957, after appearing for intermediate in science examination, I appeared in the entrance examination of the lone IIT at Kharagpur and got selected for doing my mechanical engineering that I completed in 1961.

The first Indian car that became known later as Ambassador, based on Morris Oxford, rolled out of Hindustan Motors’ Uttarpara Plant in 1950. Straight from IIT, Kharagpur, I joined Hindustan Motors in 1961as executive trainee that was one of the best paying jobs those days. I worked till 1997 in Hindustan Motors and retired.

I am proud of the educational institutes that I attended, the last two happen to be among the best in India even today.

Are these not great connections with the institutions started in 1950?

I think India must celebrate the Republic Day as well as Independence Day in some unique way that gets acceptance of all the people of all ages in all corners of the country. Can it not become a colour cum lighting festivals for all and thus integrate the Indians? Is it difficult for the Indians to have lighting and fireworks on this day? I am sure Republic Day must be more than just seeing a parade on TV or going out for picnic.

I wrote in my earlier blog ‘From Janata Durbar to Vikash Yatra’, “I wish him a success if it is not a pre-election gimmick. He should also see that all the normal work doesn’t stop in the area he visits because of the excuse of his visits. I don’t know if he will also spend his nights in the villages to understand the reality from nearer quarter or in the towns with circuit house or some other government accommodations.”

Interestingly, Nitish provided the answer in his ‘last durbar in Patna’, “I will live in tents prepared by prisoners of Buxar jail in the villages. I will have night halt in the villages and will listen to the problem of the people,” Nitish’s Vikas Yatra promises to take the government at people’s doorsteps, officially termed “Janata ke durbar mein mukhyamantri (CM in people’s court)”. Every camp will have accommodations for at least 300 officials, including security personnel. Important departmental secretaries, district magistrates and superintendents of police would accompany Nitish. Will the chief minister or his secretary do some home work about the villages to be covered from one location? Are they having the master plan of the projects for the area or will they prepare one? Will Nitish look into the personal problems such as employment or transfer or financial help?

I have no complaint about Nitish’s Vikas Yatra. It may be a good PR move. It may sort out some grievances. It may provide Nitish a firsthand glimpse of the actual conditions of road, electricity, and health care provisions including the sanitation in the villages. But I doubt if it is an effective way to get the desired fast development. I wish the collectors or Block Development Officers taking clue from Nitish’s Yatra provide the services to the people at their doorsteps in their respective region for which they are accountable. They can have one day of the week for a village or panchayat. Additionally, I request Nitish to address the people and explain how education is bringing revolution in other states and appeal to send their children to schools and to demand better functioning of the schools. It is the education, and education only that can bring about the change. I wish if he requests panchayat executives to prepare a master plan for all the villages and ask for the suggestions to create employment locally.

I do believe that there are many excellent and missionary officers in the state. They require motivations. One such case has come to my knowledge that is related to Kosi. “We are using all the skill and hard work at our disposal. If we fail to meet the work deadline, we will dive in the river and create a human chain to check the devastating of settlements,” said N. Sanyal, the head of the Kosi Breach Closure Advisory Team. It has been monitoring the embankment rebuilding project at Kusaha in Nepal. The statement of Sanyal – a civil engineer of repute – sums up the pace, urgency and spirit with which 72 engineers, 1,500 workers, over 20 trucks and 12 rollers and dumpers are engaged in the massive engineering exercise. This is certainly something that can make one feel proud.

On education front too, the improvements in number appear to be excellent. According to the Annual Status of Education Report on rural India of NGO Pratham survey that covered 564 districts, 16,198 villages and 3.35 lakh households, Bihar has done remarkably well in getting children to go to school. From 13.1% out-of-school children in the age group of 6-14 in 2005, the state has brought the number down to 5.7% in 2008. Similarly, the proportion of out-of-school girls in the age group of 11-14 in the state has dropped from 20.1% to 8.8%. Again the Educational Development Index for 2007-08 prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) has also similar encouraging news. Bihar has considerable increase in primary enrolment to 11.27% from 8.9% and 8.22% in upper primary from 6.6% in 2006-07. Interestingly, Muslim girls form 46.8% of primary school enrolment and 44.76% of upper primary enrolment.

However Bihar is go miles before it comes anywhere near the developed states of the country. For example, less than 1% schools in Bihar have computers. And it is only Nitish and his government that can provide the infrastructure and equipment. But Bihar must drop the practice of engaging the teachers on a dismal fixed pay. Let it employ the best and dismiss those who are useless, but not degrade the profession.

I wish from the exposure of the rural Bihar in different regions, Nitish may get enlightened and will take some innovative steps for mitigating the misery prevailing in the different parts of the state. I have at least some suggestions.

Can the civil engineers of Bihar come out with some housing design for rural Bihar where the age old practices of living with the cattle be effectively avoided?